Oak Bar

A birthday party brought me to the Oak Bar. Its a pub/​lounge/​club. Confused? So was I, especially when I was charged £5 cover to enter a venue off of Newington Green! I was even more annoyed then I was asked to pay again after walking the front to meet a friend with a pint in hand. Beware of the host with the adorable dog. She’s a bit spacey and may try to charge you twice for entry.
I refer to Oak Bar as a pub/​lounge/​club because that’s the vibe you get as you progress further into Oak Bar. Upon arrival, you’ll notice a pool table in the front of the room, a cupboard full of board games and (despite it being 10:30pm on a Saturday) people playing Connect 4.
Wander past the board games and you’ll be surrounded by leather couches and notice an inviting fire place opposite the bar. Continue past the bar and you’ll see a stage with a DJ and a sizable dance floor.
The drinks were reasonably priced but I was a bit annoyed that a pint of Peroni costs £4.50. However a shot of Red Bull and vodka costs £5.50.
The music was pretty good when the DJ played. But it would occasionally be interrupted by someone singing karaōke or doing a Charlie Chaplin performance. I still have no idea why they were doing these things and it kinda killed the dance vibe.
To be brutally honest, the only reason I stayed was because I was there for someone’s birthday. Otherwise, I would have went elsewhere the moment they tried to charge me a fiver for entry.

How this place has never been reviewed before I don’t know; considering it’s been a staple on the lesbian scene for over 20 years!
The themed nights at Oak change quite frequently, so I’d check the latest Lesbian listings if you are planning on going.
Their nights include things like: kareoke, quiz nights, turkish-​themed nights, RnB to name a few.
Their most popular night is Lower the Tone — held on the last Friday of each month.
You get a mixed bunch of lesbians and a few gay guys, mostly local people from North London.
There’s a pool table and games machines if you and your date are having an akward silence and there’s a cloakroom too on those busy nights when the dance floor is full.
In the winter, it can be really cosy with candles in the fireplace and the Hackney Women’s Football team have it as their local.
If you’re lesbian and live in North London you really have to go, it’s not stayed on the scene for 20+ years for no reason — just take a good group of girlfriends with you and you’re bound to have a fun night.
Ps. They even do Sunday roasts!

When I first walked down Green Lanes I noticed the Oak Bar and quickly put it in the gay and lesbian category. Since I had put it in that category I never went in. This week one of my dear friends told me she wanted to check it out. So we popped down to the Oak Bar and had a blast! The club is a gay and lesbian pub, but it is straight friendly. The day we went it wasn’t too crowded a few people were playing pool. We watched a bit of football and had a few drinks as we talked and caught up.
The pub is very laid back with coaches and dark wooden floors. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and there was a mix of straight and gay couples. The pub has a lot to offer and I think they are trying to show that they are not just a place for the gay and lesbian crowd but for anyone who wants to have a good time!